Albandarian
Albandarian (natively A˩˧ba˥˩hi˥˧ a''˩˧''ba''˥˩''çi''˥˧'') is a language isolate spoken natively by the Albandarian people (A˩˧ba˥˩dei˩˥ ''a˩˧ba˥˩dei˩˥), a fairly short-lived amphibian of the tropical, archipelago-rich ocean planet Alba (''A˩˧ba˥˩ a˩˧ba˥˩) and their colony worlds. Current Objectives: Describing Albandarian grammar Describing the native writing system Phonology Consonants * All consonants can occur as onsets, except ŋ, which only appears as a syllabic consonant. * The consonants m, l, and n can be either onsets or syllabic consonants. * There are no codas. Vowels Diphthongs Triphthongs Tones Albandarian has a complex tonal system consisting of three pitch tones (˥, ˧, ˩), three falling tones (˥˧, ˥˩, ˧˩), three rising tones (˩˧, ˩˥, ˧˥), and four complex contour tones (˥˧˥, ˧˥˧, ˧˩˧, ˩˧˩). The following table provides examples of each in the order they traditionally have on Alba. Tonal Sandhi Albandarian has a fairly intuitive sandhi to aid in pronunciation. It goes as follows. Orthography When Albandarian is transcribed using the Latin alphabet, most phonemes are written the same as their IPA symbols. The ones that do not are written as listed in the table below. When Albandarian is transcribed using its own writing system, most phonemes have a separate symbol. The ones that do not are written with the equivalent of what is listed in the table below. These disparities in spelling are due to phonemic shifts which have occurred in Albandarian since the latest spelling reform. Phonotactics The syllable structure of Albandarian is very simple, only allowing a ©V structure where the optional onset can be any single consonant besides ŋ and the nucleus can be a vowel, a diphthong, a triphthong, or one of four syllabic consonants (l, m, n, or ŋ). Syllabic consonants cannot pair with an onset.not pair with an onset. Vocabulary The Number System The Albandarian number system is decimal. To derive words such as first, second, etc. one simply attaches the word ma˥ to the end of the number. * Li˥ma˥ = first * Mu˧˥ma˥ = second * Cho˩˧zui˩˧˩pie˧˩˧ma˥ = eighty-seventh 0 - Ao˩ 1 - Li˥ 2 - Mu˧˥ 3 - Ne˥˧˥ 4 - Bo˥˧ 5 - Da˧˥˧ 6 - Giu˧ 7 - Pie˧˩˧ 8 - Cho˩˧ 9 - Cia˩˥ 10 - Zui˩˧˩ 11 - Zui˩˧˩li˥ 12 - Zui˩˧˩mu˧˥ 13 - Zui˩˧˩ne˥˧˥ 14 - Zui˩˧˩bo˥˧ 15 - Zui˩˧˩da˧˥˧ 16 - Zui˩˧˩giu˧ 17 - Zui˩˧˩pie˧˩˧ 18 - Zui˩˧˩cho˩˧ 19 - Zui˩˧˩cia˩˥ 20 - Mu˧˥zui˩˧˩ 30 - Ne˥˧˥zui˩˧˩ 40 - Bo˥˧zui˩˧˩ 50 - Da˧˥˧zui˩˧˩ 60 - Giu˧zui˩˧˩ 70 - Pie˧˩˧zui˩˧˩ 80 - Cho˩˧zui˩˧˩ 90 - Cia˩˥zui˩˧˩ 100 - Sue˥˩ 101 - Sue˥˩li˥ 200 - Mu˧˥sue˥˩ 222 - Mu˧˥sue˥˩mu˧˥zui˩˧˩mu˧˥ 1,000 - Vuo˧˩ 10,000 - Yua˩ 100,000 - Hei˥ 1,000,000 - Foi˧˥ 10,000,000 - Lou˥˧˥ 100,000,000 - Oe˥˧ 109 - Mai˧˥˧ 1010 - Nao˧ 1011 - Bao˧˩˧ 1012 - Jou˩˧ 1013 - Giao˩˥ 1014 - Puei˩˧˩ 1015 - Tuai˥˩ 1016 - Ci˧˩ 1017 - Zo˩ 1018 - Su˥ Swadesh List Naming Conventions Albandarians bear many names throughout their lives, and the culture has complex naming traditions and even more complicated conditions for what name it is appropriate to call someone else. It is wise for people visiting Albandarian space to memorize these conventions, lest they cause offense. Clan names (Dao˥mu˩) This concept is easy enough to understand, this is the name of the clan the individual in question comes from. These are typically not used on their own to discuss an individual person unless it is in some sort of representative setting. Individual names (Tue˩mu˩) Similar to the human concept of given names, though it tends to be either a vocabulary word or a group of vocabulary words, typically and traditionally ones which portray certain traits the individual's parents would like their offspring to exhibit. Calling someone by their tue˩mu˩ is seen as fairly intimate, but typically not offensive, though the person in question may ask that they be called by a different i˧˥mu˩ instead. Birth names (Mo˥mu˩) These are the names Albandarians are given directly following or soon after they hatch. Mo˥mu˩ are formed of combinations of the dao˥mu˩ with the tue˩mu˩. As the term birth names suggests, mo˥mu˩ are used for children until they come of age. They are also typically used by parents toward their children affectionately after such a date. Depending on the person and the position they occupy, they may allow close friends to call them by their mo˥mu˩ once they've come of age, but many find this to be highly offensive and/or highly inappropriate, as doing so is often seen as extraordinarily patronizing. Formal names (Bue˥˩mu˩) Once an Albandarian has come of age and an occupation has been chosen, they take on their bue˥˩mu˩. This is a two part name consisting of their profession combined with their dao˥mu˩ serving as the first part, and their tue˩mu˩ serving as the second part. Bue˥˩mu˩ are used similar to how full names are used in human society. Preferred names (I˧˥mu˩) I˧˥mu˩ are chosen permutations of an individual's bue˥˩mu˩ that the individual wishes to be known by to friends and peers on a day-to-day basis. Example Texts Sentences The Lord's Prayer Li˧˩vi˩˧˩ ba˥ liu˧˩˧ya˧˥, ia˧ cou˩˧˩ cu˥˧˥ lei˩˧ao˥ma˥ foe˧˩˧, a˥˩mei˧˥˧n˥, <> Li˧˩vi˩˧˩ ba˥ liu˧˩˧ya˧˥, lia˧˩ ba˥ mu˩ ta˥˩i˥; <> Li˧˩vi˩˧˩ vi˥˧˥ha˥˩ ng˧ ti˩ yiu˧˩dui˧˩; <> Ci˩ hio˥˩ o˥˩ ti˩ si˥˩miou˩˥, cua˩˧ li˧˩vi˩˧˩ hio˥˩o˥˩ si˥˩miou˩˥; <> Si˥˩miao˧˥ li˧˩vi˩˧˩ io˩˥, ci˩ yu˧ li˧˩vi˩˧˩ ha˧˥ dao˩˧˩bei˧˩˧ Ai˧˥˧ia˩ ao˧˩. <> Nai˩˥ lia˧˩ ba˥ dao˥a˥ ta˧˩˧; <> Nai˩˥ lia˧˩ ba˥ ji˩ ga˧ sai˩, cua˩˧ lei˩˧ao˥ma˥ foe˧˩˧. <> A˥˩mei˧˥˧n˥. <> Category:Tonal languages Category:Alien languages